An antenna is often known to work as a transducer that converts electrical signals on a transmission line to radio waves and vice versa. In general, the antenna size and operating frequency of the antenna are related. For example, for the antenna to have relatively low operating frequency, the size of the antenna needs to be relatively large. Therefore, it can be expected for antenna designers to encounter a tradeoff in realizing a compact or miniaturized antenna while maintaining low operating frequencies of the antenna.
Further, a single conventional antenna often cannot operate at a relatively wide frequency range or bandwidth, and multiple different antennas are thus needed for covering the desired frequency range. Through the development of certain classes of antennas (e.g., conical antennas), it is possible for a single antenna to operate over a large bandwidth. But, the size-frequency tradeoff still exists, which does not cope with the growing need for compact wide band antennas that operate at lowest possible frequencies. That is, the design of an antenna satisfying the requirement of being wideband, having a reduced size, and operating at low frequencies can be rather difficult.
The disclosed cone-based multi-layer antenna is designed to solve the aforementioned size-frequency tradeoff problem and other problems encountered during antenna design.